As genetically modified products come under greater production, tensions surrounding the potential benefits and harms of the technology have appeared in divergent policy between the European Union (EU) and certain member states. The purpose of this thesis is to consider whether some type of international law, also called an environmental...
The goal of this analysis is to use the social construction framework to determine 1) whether the Oregon Drug Take Back Program stakeholder group can design a public policy that will ultimately reduce water contamination from the improper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals from the general public, and 2) use the...
This paper will address Oregon's ability to regulate and manage its wetland resources as a means for protecting and enhancing salmon habitat. After identifying the importance of wetland environments the paper will look into OWRF to assess its effectiveness. Ultimately the paper will conclude that OWRF's design is an effective...
This essay provides a snapshot of sustainability and acceptability of wave energy and eight other electricity-generating energy sources in Oregon. Since “sustainability” is an important point of view in decision-making, the paper is centered around the concept. Although there is no consensus on the definition of sustainability in the academic...
Since 2006 Oregon has promoted the development of wave energy off its coast. While the state may be well suited for the technology because of an abundant wave resource and supporting coastal infrastructure there remain potential barriers to implementing this policy, including uncertainties about the technology and concerns for impacts...
The Bolivian government is using a portion of the rent generated from its fossil fuel reserves to fund unconditional cash transfers as a means of redistributing resources. Although some countries have enacted conditional cash transfers in the past, these unconditional transfers are unique since they only have been implemented in...
The arduous task of finding a solution to the enduring salmon crisis calls for a non-trivial, comprehensive approach. Such a solution is likely to affect virtually everyone in the Pacific Northwest. Ensuring public understanding of and support for species restoration policies is especially important, because many of such policies involve...
This essay provides a snapshot of major policy change in the siting of radioactive waste depository facilities in South Korea during 2005. After 20 years of failing to locate a radioactive waste depository facility, South Korea finally succeeded in locating a facility through a major policy change of delegating decision...
Renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar, and wave, have a number of advantages compared to traditional fossil fuels. Numerous studies attest to the physical potential for wave energy development in Oregon. In transitioning from conventional fossil fuel to alternative energy provision, citizen understanding of the global energy problems and...
Public opinion is central to the formation of public higher education, particularly public higher education funding policy. However, extant research indicates that an enormous gap exists between public higher education policymakers and the general public, resulting in misunderstanding and serious challenges for public higher education funding. This analysis builds on...
Oregon Sea Grant and its partner states have received a Sectoral Applications Research Project (SARP) grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to refine outreach methods for coastal communities with specific attention to climate change. This paper will focus on the SARP project and a related case study...
This dissertation focuses on a central question for six countries in Asia: what factors affect environmentalism? Numerous studies have proposed mixed theoretical explanations for the relationship between diverse values and beliefs regarding environmentalism. Although these diverse studies propose theories for the fast-growing and multifaceted environmentalism in Asia, here it is...
This research intends to provide insights into community wind energy development in Oregon using an integrated analysis approach, which incorporates GIS Suitability Analysis, Socio-Political Analysis, and Empirical Case Studies. In the GIS analysis, we developed a model through a series of steps (including data acquisition, preprocessing, data management, manipulation and...
In recent years there has been a growing debate in the field of public administration over whether public employees are essentially self interested. Public choice theory contends that all people are self-interested utility maximizers, and as a result that public employees would seek to use their position for personal gain....
Madagascar, home to a high degree of endemic species and has been subject to numerous programs and organizations intent on preserving its biodiversity, which is currently pressured largely by anthropogenic causes. Protected areas, including national parks, make up a central part of these conservation efforts, combining ecotourism and restricting access...
Over the past two decades, the western United States has experienced many of the costliest and most severe wildfires in history. To mitigate the effects of the growing threats posed by wildfires, residents in at-risk communities are encouraged to protect their homes and property by adopting Firewise recommendations. This article...
Oregon is a state with great social and ecological diversity. Unfortunately however, Oregon's water-rich reputation is more rumor than reality. As with many Western states, Oregon struggles with water scarcity, especially during dry summer months. Recent efforts by the state to develop an integrated water resource strategy (IWRS) to manage...
Ecotourism is recognized for its economic potential to reduce poverty in least developed countries. There is a general belief that ecotourism will benefit local development, but previous research has found mixed results. This paper explores the idea of ecotourism and its impact on local sanitation in Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area....
Since the 1990s the U.S. and especially the Western U.S. have experienced more intense and costly fires. To help address this problem government agencies are increasingly looking at homeowners in fire-prone landscapes to mitigate fire risk. Part of this effort involves communicating risk and understanding how residents perceive risk. This...
This study uses multiple regression analysis of a survey of Oregon residents to determine what factors influence an individual’s support for salmon recovery policies in Oregon. Salmon today face a variety of threats, most notably from the ‘four H’s’ (habitat degradation, hydroelectric dams, harvest practices, and hatcheries). Using the social...
Since the 1990s the U.S. and especially the Western U.S. have experienced more intense and costly fires. To help address this problem government agencies are increasingly looking at homeowners in fire-prone landscapes to mitigate fire risk. Part of this effort involves communicating risk and understanding how residents perceive risk. This...
Purpose
In modern American society, educational television (ETV) plays an increasingly substantial role in the daily out-of-classroom education of the American youth and the decision to utilize youth based ETV is often in the hands of parents. However, many parents are unaware of the potential risks associated with early childhood...
Natural resource decisions require consideration at many levels, ranging from how one invertebrate will be affected by a nearby road, to how an entire watershed will be transformed by a massive clearcut. Considerations reach farther than just the local ecological community-human communities, economies, and future impacts on the communities and...
Attempts to site nuclear waste storage facilities are highly contentious. Given that nuclear related facilities are the most commonly opposed types of proposed land uses, one might expect to observe strong contentious interactions between proponents and immediate community members. In some cases, what is expected is not necessarily observed; why?...
The purpose of this study is to identify the aspects of successful collaboration within an inter-organizational context. This essay is a case study of a tightly niched network of fire chiefs in central Oregon situated within multiple contiguous boundaries of federal and state agencies, county and municipal governments, industrial forests,...
The issue of global climate change and possible remedies has been debated between national governments since the 1970s. While some countries have adopted aggressive measures to address the issue, others have lagged in their efforts. The United States, as a key player in global climate change conferences, has focused its...
The overall purpose of this research is to assess the Oregon public's capacity to address water resources disturbances through civil society. According to scientists and resource managers, Oregon's water resources are over taxed and at risk, with future projections placing additional stress from climate change and population growth. Oregon's 2009...
The Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (BCCA) was created in response to a degrading natural environment coupled with a weakening community. The BCCA is a community owned 5,609-acre forest located in the heart of the Blackfoot watershed in Western Montana. Fearful of development and the creation of subdivisions, landowners banded together,...
This study examines student voting at Oregon State University (OSU) – Oregon’s public, land-grant university – in state elections from 2006-2010. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), Oregon Senate Bill 951 (2007), and Oregon House Bill 2880 (2011) seek to increase university student voting. In particular, SB 951...
While the U.S. energy portfolio increasingly includes renewables, social acceptance of such technologies can pose an important challenge for developers. Using survey data from a random sample of nearby households (n=524), content analysis of coverage in local newspapers, and interviews with various stakeholders (n=14), I explore local social acceptance of...
The U.S. Forest Service’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) seeks to encourage collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of forest landscapes. Many theorists note a tension between participatory approaches in governance and the certainty and control that science is said to offer. This research explores how collaboration and science are currently...
To face large scale environmental challenges like climate change, the Obama administration has turned to renewable sources of energy to offset the carbon emissions that result from traditional energy sources like coal and natural gas. However, finding suitable locations for large-scale renewable energy developments has proven difficult due to strong...
The Oregon education system at both the K-12 and Postsecondary level is strained for resources, with funding at levels far below the national average. This is due, in large part, to the small percentage of state taxes that are used to fund education. Public support for additional revenue for schools...
This research paper uses data from the World Value Survey to examine the relationship between life satisfactions, perception of freedom, and religious affiliation in The People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Finland, and the United State of America. The paper looks to compare three different countries with vastly different...
Concerns over climate change and energy security have spurred governments worldwide to encourage the development of renewable energy. Although public attitudes and macro-politics, in general, show moderate to strong support for renewables- in particular, wind power- largely because of the economic and environmental benefits associated with it. However, local politics...
Nepal’s community forestry has been internationally recognized as an example of successful case of collective action. However, many scholars argue that although it has been successful in protecting forests from degradation, it has not been able to create an inclusive platform for political decision-making process. Using historical analysis, comparative case...
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is considered by many to be among the most powerful and most contentious environmental laws in the United States. Persistent challenges to the Act’s implementation make reaching conservation goals problematic. Most notably, the very nature of the law—providing protections for species already at...
In the study of rebuilding and recovery after natural disasters in the United States, little attention is paid to understanding how and why people rebuild following recurring, small-scale events, like wildfire. Hazard and risk literature, instead, is focused on understanding how larger communities with greater resources, economics, and social capital,...
Community visioning processes offer communities the platform to identify common goals, indicate actions and measures of progress, and envision what they would like their political, economic, and social landscape to look like for years to come. Rural communities often face unique obstacles in terms of isolation, lack of resources and...
Kuwait has undergone dramatic political and economic transformations over the past century. From the rapid transition to an oil-based economy in the 1940s to the unexpected Iraqi invasion in 1990, change has been constant. While much of the focus has been on the economy and society, it is also true...
Over 90 percent of the soy, cotton, and corn sold in the United States are genetically modified crops (GM crops). However, there was a 209 percent growth in USDA certified organic food from 2005-2015, reflecting a growing interest in non-GMO food. The policy debate over GM crops takes place between...
As climate change forces energy policy to incorporate environmental impacts and fuel diversification into the traditional model of energy security, finding ways to site, develop, and deliver renewable energy has taken on increasing importance across the United States. With no consistent federal framework to implement these changes, much of the...
This essay provides an assessment of the human, social and financial resources that Oregon Latino immigrant-serving nonprofits have available to achieve their mission of promoting Latino immigrant integration and civic engagement practices. Under the framework of immigrant integration, this study examines the strategies Latino nonprofits rely upon to achieve their...
In 2011 the California State University (CSU) system’s overall four-year graduation rate was 16 percent, which is far below the national rate of 26 percent among similar institutions. In response to the low graduation rate, the California legislature passed 2 statutory bills meant to further expand access, while improving college...
Renewable energy is on the rise in the U.S. Additional efforts will be required to integrate intermittent and decentralized sources of energy into the electrical grid. Given that storing large amounts of electricity is not yet available at a reasonable cost, electric grid operators must match supply and demand at...
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal nutrition assistance program in the US aiming at improving health and nutrition among low-income individuals and households. SNAP is a means tested program that provides monthly cash benefits to eligible households and individuals whose assets and net monthly incomes are...
Rarely does an industry touch each citizen’s everyday life while simultaneously garnering such little public attention as the energy industry does. From the fuel powering our vehicles to the energy flowing into our homes powering our laptops, TV’s and lights the energy industry enables our modern lifestyles, but this is...
Some critics claim that President Trump has downplayed the risks of coronavirus at the onset of the pandemic, describing it merely as flu at a time when other administrative officials in the CDC and HHS were warning of a very grave future with the virus and implored quick action. The...
Many skilled immigrants suffer from the nonrecognition of their foreign professional credentials within the US labor market. As such, they are often forced to accept employment in fields that do not make full use of their skills. Consequently, foreign trained professionals are underrepresented in the upper segments of the American...
The Philippines’ labor export system is a complex web of policy instruments that have been amended, repealed, and refined over the last four decades. The laws along with the hortatory tools used to promote them have shaped the lives of millions of Filipinos, separating families across oceans. Temporary labor migration,...
